'State of City' addresses good for Midlanders

Published 6:00 pm, Wednesday, February 25, 2009

Several Midland mayors have now delivered a State of the City address and we think it is a good practice, one that is beneficial to the citizens of our community.

Mayor Wes Perry delivered his city assessment on Monday before about 300 people at the Midland Center, touching on a variety of issues such as paving streets, fixing drainage channels and modernizing the hospital.

In fact, Perry gave a full endorsement to the hospital campaign to pass a $115 million bond to update facilities at Midland Memorial Hospital, saying building a new seven-story patient tower is "something we have to have as a community."

Of course, this is an interesting time to be a city leader. Midland has experienced near boom conditions for the past two years and the last sales tax report was a record for a one month take. However, a national recession and falling oil prices are expected to have a downward push on the local economy as we go forward.

Perry is correct in saying we must maintain our city infrastructure during both the good and bad times. We have to learn to do our daily business in an economical and responsible manner no matter the state of the overall economy.

We also took special note of Perry's emphasis on Midland's future water needs. Perry said we are facing a future in which water will be worth more than oil. We certainly share his thoughts on this issue and were glad to hear the priority he has placed on the subject.

Midland is located in near desert surroundings with no major body of water nearby. Obtaining water will always be a golden priority for our generation and those to follow. Former mayors have done a good job of securing water sources for Midland and that is a task that must never be shortchanged.

If nothing else, Perry's State of the City address allows citizens to focus on the issues that confront our community. We would hope this practice ultimately will help inform citizens on the work of the city council.

Of course, our business is all about informing our readers of the world around us. Perry's address and those before him is another tool to inform the public of basic issues. We are always srpportive events that move us to a more informed public.